he has the advantage here, the polls indicate, as with bill clinton and this showdown with newt gingrich. the public tends to blame republicans when this happens. especially now at a time when over on the house side, you have so many republicans who are so far right and worry about farther right running against them in primary, that john boehner's plan last week. we don't know how much has changed since last week. but president obama sounded like he was saying something that he had been planning to say all along. >> it's almost like the white house is stepping out. i think we have some sound from mitch mcconnell talking about the next steps. let's see if we can run that out. >> we had a good meeting at the white house. we are engaged in discussions, if majority leader, myself and the white house in the hopes that we can come forward as early as sunday and have a recommendation. that i can make to my conference and the majority leader can make to his conference. >> i'm going to do everything that i can, i'm confident senator mcconnell will do the same. but everybody, this is -- whatever w